


Kandi

by Polyhexian



Series: Humanformers: The Music AU [3]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: AU, F/F, Humanformers, POV Third Person
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 23:00:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26735527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polyhexian/pseuds/Polyhexian
Summary: Tailgate starts making bracelets.
Series: Humanformers: The Music AU [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1859230
Comments: 10
Kudos: 32





	Kandi

"I think that's really sweet," said Pipes with a smile, leaning against the bar counter.

Tailgate beamed, carefully threading beads along the elastic. "I love the idea of it. Peace, love, unity, respect and responsibility. Good music, good people, good fun! I really… really want to go to a rave, sometimes I watch videos and vlogs and stuff on YouTube and I just… yearn, you know?" 

"Oh, no, I've craved, but not yearned," Pipes smirked, "Why not just go then?" 

"Oh…" Tailgate fidgeted, "I just… I don't know. I don't have anyone to go with and… I'm just worried about it."

"I understand," Pipes nodded, "I felt the same way about going to Pride." 

"How did you get over it?" she asked.

"I wanted to go during highschool," he told her, "and my parents were cool, like, my mom even said she would drive me, but… yeah, I didn't have anyone to go with either. Other than my mom, but- I mean. It's my mom. I didn't want to go with my mom. I really wanted a boyfriend to go with."

"Did you get a boyfriend to go with?"

"No," he laughed, "Actually, I had a lesbian friend who finally dragged me with her. I'm glad she did, because I don't think I would have gotten the courage to do it on my own."

Tailgate nodded. "That makes sense. I just need to make like- one friend in the scene I can go with." She looked down at the bracelet she was making and then tied off the knot.

"So what's with the bracelet?" Pipes asked, pointing toward her work, the tackle box of beads she'd brought and set on the bar.

"Oh!" Tailgate beamed, "It's called Kandi! So what you do is, you make these and you wear them and when you meet someone at a show, or you have like a fun experience, you trade them. And that way, you end up with like a whole collection of these little visual representations of all the good experiences you've had and all the people you've met. So you never have to forget!" 

"That's a really nice idea," Pipes agreed.

"Here," said Tailgate, offering him the bracelet, "You don't have to wear it, but it would mean something to me if you would take it. Thank you for listening to me."

Pipes took it and immediately pulled it onto his wrist. "You don't gotta thank me for that. I see you over here at the bar all the time and you're always alone. I wish I'd come and talked to you sooner."

Tailgate smiled.

* * *

"So, I was wondering," asked Tailgate, hands behind her back, "Would you like to maybe grab some coffee?" 

Cyclonus blinked at her, and then, after a momentary pause, "Yes, alright." She stopped walking. "There's a Starbucks on campus if you'd rather walk there."

Tailgate brightened. "Yeah! That's perfect!"

Tailgate spent the rest of the walk complaining emphatically about the paper the class had been assigned until Cyclonus pointed out that she was under no obligation to actually do it. Tailgate ordered a venti vanilla latte, nonfat milk, whipped cream, 7 Splendas; 6 mixed in, one sprinkled on top of the whipped cream (to make it crunchy) and Cyclonus ordered a tall black coffee.

"So, do you have a job outside of school, or do you live with your parents, or what?" Tailgate asked, sitting down at a sunny table by a window. Cyclonus set down her coffee and then gathered up her skirt and swept it under her before she sat, and took a soft sip of her coffee.

"No, I moved out of my father's home on my eighteenth birthday and I've not spoken to him since," Cyclonus said, as casually as one could say such a thing, "I work in tech support right now, but a friend and I have been working on a tech startup together developing cyber security software. That's why I'm a computer science major. It's a small business right now but I do hope it will expand over time."

"Wow!" exclaimed Tailgate, "That's so impressive. You're so dedicated. It's really cool."

Cyclonus smiled fondly. "Thank you. What about you? What do you do?"

"Well, um, apparently I used to work at a publishing company writing textbooks, but… uh, they gave me a sort of indefinite leave since I… don't know any history anymore. My cousin Swerve helped me get a job though, you know, just like working as a cashier at a store down on ninth street."

"Which store?" Cyclonus asked.

"...Valveplug," Tailgate smiled shyly.

Cyclonus was silent for a beat before she raised an eyebrow. "The… adult toy store?"

"That's the one!" Tailgate laughed, "It covers my rent, at least, and it's not as weird as you might think. It's a pretty good job actually. Sometimes I'll put two vibrators on the counter and make them fight." 

Cyclonus made a quiet chuffing noise Tailgate thought might have been some kind of laughter and then took a sip of her coffee. 

"Well, that's certainly a job." 

Tailgate fidgeted and then pulled her purse into her lap and took out the bracelet she had spent most of the previous evening making. Purple, black, and silver, she had been very particular in collecting beads for this piece of Kandi, since she knew how important aesthetic was to Cyclonus. Tiny spikes, beads with wings etched into the sides, little skulls, she thought she had nailed it, that it looked perfect, and she held it up to her with the reverence she had made it with.

"I made this for you," Tailgate said, nervously, "It's something I've started doing recently… it's a rave thing, whenever you have a special experience with someone or make a good memory you can exchange bracelets, so you never forget. You don't have to give one back or anything, but, making these has made me… really happy, and I've really enjoyed getting to know you. So I made this one for you." 

Cyclonus regarded it for a moment quietly before she took the bracelet from her open palms and inspected it carefully. "Thank you. It's beautiful."

Tailgate smiled, relieved. "I'm glad you think so."

Her relief, however, faded the next week when she saw Cyclonus again and she wasn't wearing it. She wasn't surprised, and didn't know why she had expected she might- it was just a bracelet. She didn't have to wear it. At the same time, it made her heart ache in a way she resented. 


End file.
